Before You Build in Burbank, CA: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Pool barriers must be minimum 60 inches tall per CA Building Code Title 24, Chapter 31. Self-closing, self-latching gates required. At least one additional safety feature (pool cover, alarm, or self-closing doors) mandated under the CA Swimming Pool Safety Act.

CA Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) requires shared cost for boundary fences. Burbank allows fence exception permits for disputes. Spite fences over 10 ft are a private nuisance under CA Civil Code 841.4.

Retaining walls under 4 ft (bottom of footing to top) are permit-exempt unless supporting a surcharge. Front yard setback allows max 4 ft combined fence/retaining wall height. Only two retaining walls per front yard, min 8 ft apart (6 ft with Director approval). All downslope walls must be screened with vegetation.

In Burbank's single-family R-1 zone, fences and walls are limited to 4 feet within the front-yard setback (6 feet for hedges), 6 to 8 feet within the street-facing side yard, and 8 feet elsewhere, all under Burbank Municipal Code Section 10-1-603 and Table 10-1-603(A).

Under the California Building Code (adopted by Burbank), fences not over 7 feet high are exempt from a building permit, while Burbank's zoning code requires a planning-side Minor Fence Exception Permit (for over-height up to 6 ft) or Major Fence Exception Permit (over 6 ft) to exceed the standards in BMC 10-1-603 and 10-1-628.

Hot tubs follow the same permitting and safety requirements as pools under CA Building Code. Prefabricated hot tubs may qualify for permit exemption if meeting size thresholds. Hot tubs are excluded from lot coverage when not enclosed in roofed structures.

Pool fencing must be at minimum 60 inches tall per CA Building Code Title 24. Self-closing, self-latching gates required. At least one additional safety feature mandatory under CA Swimming Pool Safety Act (HSC 115920-115929).

All residential pools must comply with CA Swimming Pool Safety Act and Virginia Graeme Baker Act. At least two drowning prevention features required for new/remodeled pools. Anti-entrapment drain covers mandatory.

Building permits are required for in-ground pool construction in Burbank. Above-ground pools under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons (entirely above ground) are exempt. Pool size and shape are not restricted beyond setback compliance. Community Development handles permits.

Prefabricated above-ground pools under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons do not require a building permit in Burbank. Safety barriers still required. Pools are excluded from lot coverage calculations if not enclosed in roofed structures.

Burbank allows converting an existing legal garage or accessory structure into an ADU under BMC 10-1-620.3, requiring removal of the garage door, permitting the existing nonconforming setback to be kept, and waiving replacement parking for the demolished or converted garage.

Burbank permits accessory dwelling units ministerially in all residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, MDR-3, MDR-4, R-1-H) under BMC 10-1-620.3, capping detached and attached ADUs at 850 square feet (1,000 with more than one bedroom) and a junior ADU at 500 square feet, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks.

Carports are regulated as accessory structures under BMC Title 10 zoning. Building permits required. Carports may encroach into side/rear setbacks to minimum 3 ft only when in the rear one-third of the lot.

Burbank Municipal Code Section 10-1-604 treats detached storage sheds and similar buildings as accessory structures, capping the combined enclosed accessory floor area (excluding garages) at 1,000 square feet, requiring at least 6 feet of separation from other structures, and prohibiting kitchens, sleeping use, and most plumbing.

Tiny homes on foundations are regulated as ADUs under CA Gov Code 65852.2. Tiny homes on wheels may be classified as RVs and are not permitted as permanent dwellings. Burbank allows ADUs up to 1,200 sq ft detached.

Burbank has no fire-pit-specific ordinance, but it adopts the 2025 California Fire Code in Burbank Municipal Code 9-1-9, which governs recreational fires and portable outdoor fireplaces. Under the adopted code a recreational fire must be kept 25 feet from structures and combustibles, and a portable outdoor fireplace 15 feet (except at one- and two-family dwellings), and the fire must be constantly attended until extinguished.

Open burning is prohibited in Burbank except by permit from the Fire Code Official for a short list of purposes. Burbank Municipal Code 9-1-9-307.1.1.1 (a local amendment adding to the adopted California Fire Code) authorizes open-burning permits only for fire-hazard abatement, city lot-burning crews, fire-fighting instruction, and certain sponsored gatherings, and all permits must comply with South Coast Air Quality Management District rules.

Burbank requires a written city permit to trim, prune, or otherwise maintain any tree in the public right-of-way or parkway, and unauthorized pruning of a public tree is unlawful (BMC 7-4-104; 7-4-113).

Burbank's Sustainable Water Use Ordinance (BMC 8-2-301 et seq.) limits outdoor irrigation by day, hour, and duration, and the city is currently in Stage III. Year-round Stage I rules also ban runoff onto paved surfaces and hosing down hard surfaces.

Removing any public (street/parkway) tree in Burbank requires a public tree removal permit, payment of the tree's appraised value, and replacement; the Parks Director also maintains a restricted list of landmark and outstanding trees (BMC 7-4-111; 7-4-108).